Ice cube producing and/or dispensing unit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld ice cube producing and dispensing units face challenges with filling water, ejecting ice cubes, and dispensing ice cubes from units with low build height, which are not efficiently addressed by existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A handheld ice cube producing and dispensing unit with a rotating dispensing mechanism featuring a flexible helical flange and custom-designed ice cube trays that allow for easy filling, robust ice cube ejection, and efficient dispensing, utilizing a driving element with a helical flange and angled walls to facilitate ice cube removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a dispenser with very low build height is used, then the device size is reduced for handheld portability, but ice cube dispensing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of trying to dispense ice cubes upward or sideways which would require more space, the patent inverts the approach by having ice cubes fall downward through gravity-assisted channels. The dispensing mechanism uses downward-sloping surfaces and gravity to guide ice cubes from the tray to the dispensing opening, eliminating the need for complex upward-pushing mechanisms that would increase device height.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent redistributes the dispensing mechanism in the horizontal plane rather than vertically. By using angled walls and helical flanges that rotate horizontally to push ice cubes along curved paths, the design achieves effective dispensing functionality without increasing the vertical build height, effectively moving the solution from a vertical dimension problem to a horizontal dimension solution.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional ice cube trays are used, then manufacturing is simple, but ice cube ejection is difficult and not robust
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different structural qualities to different parts of the tray. The tray body remains simple for easy manufacturing, but specific ejection zones incorporate angled surfaces and geometric features that facilitate reliable ice cube release. The helical flange mechanism introduces localized mechanical action at critical ejection points without complicating the entire tray structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from static tray designs to a dynamic ejection system. The helical flange rotates to actively push ice cubes out of the tray compartments, providing a dynamic mechanical force that ensures reliable ejection. This rotational motion creates a sweeping action that reliably releases ice cubes regardless of their position or orientation in the tray.
3Device complexity
If manual filling methods are used, then device complexity is low, but filling speed is slow and process is cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a pump system that uses hydraulic principles to rapidly fill the ice cube tray with water. The pump creates pressure differential to force water through channels and into the tray compartments quickly, replacing slow manual pouring while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple and handheld-friendly.
Data Source
AI summary
An ice cube dispensing unit comprising a housing suitable for containing at least two ice cubes, and a dispensing mechanism arranged at one end of the housing. The dispensing mechanism comprises an opening which is large enough for the ice cubes to pass through, a wall arranged near an edge of the opening, and an ice cube displacing mechanism suitable for displacing the ice cubes out of the housing through said opening. The ice cube displacing mechanism and the wall are arranged such that the ice cubes pass between the wall and the ice cube displacing mechanism on their way out of the housing. The ice cube displacing mechanism is arranged at a distance from the wall such that the minimum distance A between the wall and an outer periphery of the ice cube displacing mechanism is less than the minimum dimension of the ice cubes and either the wall and/or the outer periphery of the ice cube displacing mechanism is displaceable to allow the distance A to increase to allow ice cubes to leave the housing. An invention related to ejecting ice cubes from an ice cube tray and an invention related to filling an ice cube tray with liquid are also disclosed.